London has been named the UK’s riskiest city for household theft while Preston is the safest, according to a new report published today by Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited.
The new figures were revealed in Endsleigh’s ‘Homes Report 2009’, which shows the top ten safest and riskiest towns and cities for burglaries in the UK.
The results were collected by analysing household theft claims over the last four years from tens of thousands of Endsleigh policyholders in the UK. Whilst Home Office statistics highlight the fact that the rate of burglary across the UK has fallen over the past decade, a recent report released in January found that burglary rates had increased by four per cent across the UK over the last quarter as the recession developed. Figures from July-September 2008 show a significant increase in burglary rates for the first time in seven years.
The report analyses the percentage of claims in different UK towns and cities against the number of Endsleigh policyholders, ranking them based on the comparative risk of burglary, rather than on the total number of claims there have been. The report also covers accidents in the home, determining the most and least ‘accident-prone’ towns and cities.
The top three riskiest and safest towns and cities for burglary according to Endsleigh’s report, are (see report for full tables and maps of UK hotspots):
- Riskiest for household theft: 1. London 2. Nottingham 3. Bristol
- Safest for household theft: 1. Preston 2. Norwich 3. Ipswich
- The top three riskiest and safest towns and cities for accidents in the home are:
- Riskiest for household accidents: 1. Hove 2. Milton Keynes 3. Brighton
- Safest for household accidents: 1. Manchester 2. Leeds 3. Liverpool
The top five tips for reducing the risk of burglary include:
1. Do not label your house keys in case you lose them 2. Install a burglar alarm 3. Never leave a spare key concealed anywhere 4. Ask a friend or neighbour to check on the property if you are going away 5. Where possible, try to keep valuables out of sight from windows
Burglary rates have spiked recently and according to the government that could be as a result of the economic recession we are experiencing. It is, therefore, more vital than ever that homeowners take extra care when leaving their property for any period of time.
The Report doesn’t, however, look at the total number of incidents occurring across the country. We have instead identified towns and cities that represent a greater risk than others according to the number of thefts in that area compared to the number of our policyholders.
Clearly some towns and cities represent a greater risk than others but regardless of where you live every householder in the country needs to be aware of the possibility of burglary.
It’s crucial that, as well as helping the success of neighbourhood safety schemes where they can, people across the country remain vigilant when it comes to home security.
Domestic burglary figures may have dropped substantially over the past decade but this period of economic gloom means there is no room for complacency when it comes to protecting your home.
